These have caught my eye as potential additions to the craft room.

This clever, pretty mix of wood and embroidery would be the perfect means of holding my necklaces.  By Systematic.

Or this lovely, artsy version for a very reasonable $16.

I’ve always been partial to Erin’s work regardless of the medium but it looks like she won’t be making hooks any longer.  This is the last one so nab it while you can!

The room that will function as my craft space is one of the few we don’t intend to paint–at least, given the monumental amount of painting we’ve been doing, it’s unlikely we’ll be inclined to change this one any time soon.  & while I do mean to pick up a few more things, this room is pretty much arranged to my satisfaction.

I know it may look sparse from the door but I do intend to add more hooks to the corner so my vintage purses can be displayed as I’ve always wanted.  This is also the wall where I’ve been setting up the ironing board when I sew.

I spotted this little wall unit when we were at Ikea and picked it up after we closed.  It’s a great display as well as container–here are my patterns, sewing books and pictures.

You may recognize the hooks–I used to hang my necklaces on them.  I still intend to display my necklaces this way but just have to find some more hooks!

The desk is courtesy of Target and I put it together in about an hour.  I love the shelving that allows for immediate access to notions–but I do plan to mount a spool holder for my thread on the wall.

I also think some kind of fabric board will live above the desk–I haven’t decided yet if I’ll make it myself or just pick one up.

The book case is serving as storage for my fabric as well as books.  The suit case dates to a long ago trip to the Aurora Antique Mall.

The last wall is the closet.  While the boyfriend and I would have loved walk ins, getting an older home means that’s just not going to happen.  It’s almost impossible for us to comfortably fit both of our wardrobes into one closet so the craft room is also going to function as my dressing room.

For more pics, go here.  & here’s more detail on the number #67.

For me, after anthropomorphized animals and truer than true statements, you can’t really beat clever in terms of art.

There is no better word than delight to describe discovering Brock Davis’ work.  A combination of photography, collage, and illusion, his work presents a puzzle (how did he do it?) and admiration (why didn’t I think of this?)

Bumper stickers for shoes, thread on paper to represent a somewhat true trompe l’oeil, and shattered objects that would never shatter, clever is really too limited a word to describe how smart his executed concepts are.

Check out his flickr or site for more.

I don’t know why I waited until we got the house to buy these things–drawer clutter has always made me crazy and I could have stopped the insanity much sooner.

I’ve always disliked the boyfriend’s nightstands since they have cupboards instead of drawers–I actually kept under garments in baskets in the walk-in closet I had at my studio.  These fabric containerss from Ikea are the next best thing–if everything isn’t visible, at least it’s organized.

These littls containers are perfect for the mess of stuff that ends up in our bathroom drawer–from Target, our second favorite place to go after Home Depot these days.

Once the pictures & final set of curtains are up, I’ll finally be able to show you the rest of the interior–not just the drawers!

I’ve worn enormous, Jackie O frames since I was a teenager, back in the 90s when they were much harder to find. I’ve never been tempted to change that up–until now.

These glasses, worn by Amanda courtesy of Copenhagen Street Style, remind me of Amelia Earhart, O Brother Where Art Thou and all of the starlet extras in Fred & Ginger movies.  & it also reminded me of a photo I’d seen in my flickr contacts not too long ago.

Casey of Elegant Musings has consistently amazing style.  Her nose for vintage–and for finding items you might think are vintage but are really new–is beyond enviable.  That includes these sunglasses that are so 1940s–but are actually from Forever 21!

Not sure I could pull these off but I’d like to try.

My craft space was finally fully unpacked as of today.  So along with hemming a set of curtains for the boyfriend’s office, I spent the afternoon with my stones and beads.

The result is an unexpected shop update, including the Sierra Sol earrings.

The Azure Peacock necklace, from a vintage brooch I picked up ages ago.

And May Blush, in a color scheme you might recognize.  Pale, blushing colors seem to be everywhere and I am no exception in falling prey to their charm.

All in the shop.

We’re very near one of the steepest streets in Seattle, a not unlikely place to find yourself given that Seattle is a series of hills.  There isn’t anything like Lombard Street, but the views are just as worthwhile.

I was itching to explore our new neighborhood earlier this week and tonight took the boyfriend on the little route I found to the topmost point.

It’s all 1960s era homes like ours until you reach the staircase.

The houses up higher have amazing gardens with giant wisteria and rhododendrons everywhere.

This house was bathed in pinks.

This flower was blooming all alone.

Though my pictures show a white sky (very typically Seattle), it was much nicer and still tinged with blue from the lovely weather earlier today–which we mostly missed while the painting continued indoors.

Stopping to smell the wisteria at the top of the hill.  That moss growing on the pavement is pretty typical, too–the northwest is a damp place.

This water tower is a marker of the neighborhood, topping the hill on the far side of this valley.  While all of the physical labor of painting, unpacking, moving things around and just trying to settle in has been totally exhausting, these walks have been a lovely reprieve from that chaos.  It still doesn’t all feel quite real but I’m doing my best to enjoy it.

The boyfriend had a strict shoes off policy at his place which I happily adapted to when I moved in with him.  Our new place, however, has hardwood floors which were far from clean when we moved in.  Despite continual sweeping, Swiffering, and even using a damp sponge, wearing no shoes at all has meant for very dirty feet.

I get the feeling that even with our joint type-A cleanliness, having a shoes-off house might not make sense.

Our solution is to have house shoes to be worn strictly indoors.  I’m not really a slipper person but a couple of shops did come to mind when the boyfriend proposed the idea.  HydraHeart has some charming fabric shoes–perfect for transitioning from outside.

The little ruffle on these crocheted mary janes is too sweet.  Being cashmere though, I can’t imagine just throwing them in the wash–especially not at that price.

I think Elephant & Chickpea must have gotten overwhelmed after being the featured seller on Etsy because her shop is closed until further notice.  It’s too bad–her house shoes are simply adorable.

Do you have a shoes off or on policy for your home?  Or any non-Isotoner slipper recommendations?  Do tell.

…to have before and after pics soon.

At least, of the bedroom.

Have a good weekend (a long one, for those of you in the U.S.!)

Back in April, I got a heads up that Bon Bon Atelier was introducing a new fabric department.  Amongst the standards faves like Alexander Henry and Amy Butler was a name I hadn’t seen before (but which I’m sure a more experienced seamstress would recognize: Kaffe Fasset.

I’m not usually much for florals, much less overblown florals but these are so vivid and crazy that I kind of love them.

If I didn’t have so much fabric lined up for projects that are very much on the backburner right now, I’d be all over these.

Not sure if the discount is still valid given how long ago I got the email, but you might as well see if entering the word “apple” at checkout will get you 10% off!

I love photo bombing.  Though I didn’t necessarily know the term for the act of doing something silly in the background of someone else’s photo, I recognize the habit among my friends–and especially my boyfriend, who can’t even refrain from being silly in photos where he’s the subject.

So I especially loved this vintage example of photo bombing.  I wonder if I can find more…

If we didn’t spice our food directly from the containers, I’d be all over these charming shakers.

I’m a sucker for representations that reflect me and my boyfriend.

& I love these because they so perfectly match the midcentury look of the house.  From Little Byrd Vintage, my new favorite place to drool over housewares.

Casual, summery, comfortable.  This is what I’d be wearing right now if I wasn’t knee deep in boxes, cabinet handles, and struggling to remember where my keys are amongst the mess.

Minus the cleavage (I’d wear a camisole, I think.)  From Victoria’s Secret, the Gap and Nordstrom, respectively.

Thank you for all of the well wishes on the house.  The five days we’ve taken off to clean, paint & unpack of course were not enough to do everything we wanted.  The cabinet handles have been changed, though!

It feels utterly unreal to be a home owner.  With the median price of a house in Seattle approaching half a million dollars, I never thought it would be something that was within my reach.  I had resigned myself to apartment living until such a time as living in the suburbs seemed tolerable, and moving out of the city to the areas that are affordable when that time came.

Then the housing crisis changed everything.  I hate to think I’m benefiting from the misfortune of others but the truth is, the insane drop in interest rates & the median cost of a home are the only reasons we could do this.

This house was completely different than what we’d asked our realtor to send over to us.  The boyfriend and I insisted on looking at only older homes and he obliged by providing listings for houses built no later than 1970.  This house was an anomaly, a 1960s idea of modern with a corner fireplace, vaulted ceilings and a ridiculous amount of space–a sore thumb among the Craftsmans and Tudors.

You really do just know.  We looked at nearly 15 houses that day, and this one was two thirds of the way through.  All the houses we looked at after were just a poor comparison.  & an unbelievable month later, it’s ours.

The boyfriend and I will be painting, cleaning and moving over the remainder of the week so posting will be light to nonexistent until next week.

So have a lovely week from me to you.  For more pictures or to check our progress on painting, decor, and the horrifying things we’ll be replacing, go here.

It’s no secret I love jewelry made from unexpected things–fabric, lace, found items.  So I had to add this shop to my favorites:

Clock hands!  It’s too clever for words.  There are hair pieces and earrings, too.

Sushipot is probably better known for her art & ephemera but I was completely charmed by her pendants from puzzle pieces.

And Rozzie’s jewelry really should be better known–dainty, pretty and unexpected in her use of mesh and lace for some pieces.

Speaking of jewelry, the amazing Anne over at City Sage is celebrating the one year anniversary of her blog with a series of giveaways, including yours truly!  So head on over to comment and potentially win an item from my shop!

My mom doesn’t read this blog but so many women I know have become mother’s recently that I can’t help thinking about them today.

In the midst of all of the craziness around the new house, and packing, and worrying, and buying paint–browsing these old photos were strangely calming.

Perhaps it’s just reassuring that there are always some constants in life.

Hope you had a lovely weekend and a great Mother’s Day.

For all the peacock lovers out there, especially Wendy B. and Tamron Lohan.

Though this tee might be more low key than they have in mind.

At Design for Humans.

Lucky for me and the boyfriend, a lot of our friends and acquiantances were home owners long before we even considered the idea.  Now that we’re joining their ranks, they have tons of recommendations–including Devine Color Paint.

If you’re like me, you probably think paint is paint but a woman in my book club shared her love of Devine and we were soon won over.  All of the colors are designed by a local artist, Gretchen Schauffler, specifically for the flat, gray light of the Pacific Northwest.

Even better, the paint is eco friendly, going on in fewer coats with low to no VOCs.  Once we get started painting during the latter half of next week, I’ll be sure to show you the colors we chose.

Happy Friday!

I’m going to blame the house hunt for the fact that it’s been months since I actually took these pictures.  Much to my surprise, I got a phone call from Nordstrom Rack–and not just a recording but a person.  I was being invited to a sneak peek of designer clothes coming over from their Nordstrom flagship store before they hit the floor at the Rack.

I think it must have been the Anna Sui dress that got me the invite–while I’ve often tried on the designer stuff, that was the first time I actually bought anything (and it was still cheaper than most Anthro dresses.)

Marni dress and McGinn top/tunic which were too big.

The racks of clothes were crammed into a room no bigger than my bedroom.  There was barely room to move between them but luckily only a handful of people besides myself were digging through the racks.

Anna Sui dress & another I can’t remember–also too big.

I found a ton of stuff to try on and ducked into the communal, curtained area they’d set up as a make shift dressing room.

Dolce & Gabbana

Though I tried on plenty, nothing came home with me–the boyfriend and I had already started talking houses and though it was just a possibility at that point, I couldn’t bring myself to throw down a couple of hundred on a top…and this was the only item that I considered long and hard.  Ultimately, I stay away from satin & couldn’t justify something so dressy for my casual life style.

Related reading:

In the Dressing Room – Gap Edition

In the Dressing Room – Part II

In the Dressing Room

Though her album has been out for a bit, I only recently discovered Lykke Li.  Like a poppier Bat for Lashes, her husky voice and mature lyrics belie her young age.

Her propensity for drapey clothes and funky jewelry also gives her the air of someone much older.

The footage of her singing with Bon Iver simply charmed me–the song is awesome but her high waisted jeans, cute dancing, and squashed hat are just perfect.

I can’t wait to see what she does next.